Red-flag warning up for High Park fire that already burned 181 homes

A helicopter ferrying water to a hotspot west of Fort Collins flew above a horizon of charred trees Saturday night. ( Karl Gehring / The Denver Post)

Larimer County officials say weather may complicate the battle against the High Park fire, which Saturday afternoon was declared the most destructive in recorded Colorado history.

A red-flag warning has been issued for the fire zone west of Fort Collins, with wind gusts as high as 50 mph forecast for ridge tops and in Poudre Canyon and temperatures in the 90s Sunday. Hoping to hold the northern perimeter of the now 55,050 acre fire, crews have been focused in that area, fire managers said in a 10 p.m. update.

There were 1,631 personnel, 103 engines, 14 helicopters and 15 airplanes working the fire Saturday. The three feller bunchers — large machines that cut and stack trees — have arrived and are being used for structure protection efforts in the Buckhorn and Pingree Park areas.

The current cost of the fire to date is now estimated at $10.8 million dollars, up from $9.1 million Friday.

Saturday afternoon, sheriff's officials said the number of homes lost in the High Park fire has reached 181, the most in Colorado history surpassing the Fourmile fire in 2010, which claimed 169 homes.

Meantime, the evacuation order for residents of the Santanka Trail area on the north end of Horsetooth Reservoir has been lifted. Residents in the neighborhoods of Soldier Canyon and Mill Canyon also were allowed to return home, but were advised to be ready to flee again. This area will only be open to residents for the time being to give them time to move back in and for officials to secure the area.

Fire officials said the main priority for fire crews today remains structure protection and keeping the edge of the fire south of Poudre Canyon and north of Buckhorn Road in check.

This evening, fire managers said the blaze has charred 55,050 acres and is 45 percent contained. This morning's fire briefing put the fire the third-largest in recorded Colorado history. Only the Hayman fire at 137,760 acres and Missionary Ridge, at 71,739 acres, were larger. Those fires happened during the drought of 2002.

Gov. John Hickenlooper shows a photo of the tree hit by lightning that started the High Park Fire.
(The Denver Post | Hyoung Chang)

Sen. Mark Udall, after attending Saturday morning's fire briefing, said, "This is going to war with Mother Nature." Udall, in addition to several other government officials, is visiting the fire site today.

As some residents were permitted back in their homes, Fran Docherty and his family are looking at spending a seventh day away from their home. While he's eager to return, Docherty said he understands the safety concerns keeping residents out of some areas.

Docherty's home is safe, he said.

"I understand why we can't get back in, it's just frustrating," Docherty said.

Along with his family, Docherty had to evacuate his horses as well. Friday, the shelter caring for the horses ran out of hay. While driving to get more hay, Docherty said his truck broke down.

"It's just one thing and then it's another," Docherty said.

Also overnight, one firefighter was rushed to a hospital in a helicopter with undisclosed injuries.

The gigantic tractor-like machinery used primarily in the timber industry has a large claw that grabs the base of a tree and a circular or chain saw that cuts the trunk. The claw doesn't allow the tree to fall and the tractor then carries it to a pile or loads it onto a flatbed truck.

Firefighters want to use the feller bunchers to build lines around the fire that is currently at 45 percent containment. Firefighters are trying to bring all the resources at their disposal to contain the blaze, Cloudman said.

There are now four spike camps stationed around the wildfire with 120 firefighters in each camp. In all, there we at least 1,553 personnel using 103 engines, 16 helicopters including three National Guard Blackhawks, battling the fire today.

(Click on image to enlarge)

Firefighters are working in two shifts, day and night, Cloudman said.

The crews have spotted many bears near the fire lines, Haberstick said.

Firefighters were focused on the north and west flanks to protect homes on Friday. Much of their work was focused on a 200-acre fire north of the Cache La Poudre River, burning on Sheep Mountain near the Glacier View Meadows neighborhood. Saturday afternoon, crews had contained that large spot fire, but people in parts of Glacier View remain on pre-evacuation notice

Darlene McClurg sat with her friends on a bench outside of Vern's restaurant in Laporte Saturday, watching helicopters fly toward and away from the fire.

"It was all kind of scary," said McClurg, who lives in west Fort Collins. Saturday was the first day in a week when the smoke didn't keep her indoors.

She said knowing the fire would burn for weeks is "horrifying."

Jennifer Blakesley was one of several residents to climb to the top of Bingham Hill with a pair of binoculars. There, Blakesley and others stared at the charred hillsides where the fire had swept over days before.

Blakesley was ordered to evacuate her home early Sunday morning. Earlier this week she learned her home was safe. Now she's waiting to get back.

"It's a matter of being patient," Blakesley said.

Jennifer Hillmann, Larimer County sheriff's spokeswoman, said about 195 firefighters with heavy helicopters managed to build a line around much of the Glacier View spot fire, which was sparked by wind-driven embers Thursday afternoon.

"They were able to get a line around a lot of it," Cloudman said.

The homes lost include: one each in Soldier Canyon, Missile Silo Road, Cloudy Pass, Picnic Rock and Old Flowers; two in Tip Top; three in Spring Valley; five in Pine Acres; seven in Rist Creek; eight in Rist Canyon; 10 on Stove Prairie Road; 12 in Paradise Park; 17 in Poudre Canyon; 21 in Stratton Park; 40 in Whale Rock; and 51 in Davis Ranch.

Structure assessment continues in Buckhorn and reported no homes lost in Laurence Creek/Redstone.

Larimer County sheriff's executive officer Nick Christensen said Friday the homes were lost early in the fire when firefighters were focused on public safety rather than property protection.

People with homes in the Cloudy Pass area west of Bellvue were be allowed to return home Saturday. As were homeowners withhomes at the entrance of Gateway Park..

Lory and Horsetooth Parks remain closed through the weekend.

No access is permitted on roads in the area south of CR74E. This includes areas south and east of McNay Hill, Hewlett Gulch Road, Deer Meadow Way, Gordon Creek Lane and all connecting roads in that area.

The terrain near the Glacier View spot fire is extreme, with many steep pitches and gullies. Fire fuels are abundant, including large patches of beetle-killed timber.

Residents of homes in the Glacier View area will likely not be allowed to return home for a few days.

The east flank of the fire toward Fort Collins is in good shape.

The Red Cross has opened an additional evacuation center at Cache la Poudre Middle School and will be providing food and shelter for evacuees.

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